Liquid congealing apparatus



0. 2,1945. I J. N..SALER 2,386,064

LIQUID CONGEALING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 3, 1957 La Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I JULES N: SLt-IR.

'' 'oct. 2; 1945. r s R 2,386,064

' L'IQUID CONGEALING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1/ III] WITNES5.E S:' lNVENTOR w JULES N. SALEZR.

L5 I ATTORN Q mo oouomo Jules l l. Seler, Springfield, Mass, esslguol" to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pm, a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 3, 1937, Serial No. 1157,11?

6 (Claims.

My'invehtion' relates to liquid concealing of pox-ates and particularly to liquid oongealiug 'appsretus of the type used ln domestlc refrigerators.v

It is an object of my invention to provide improved apparatus for forming ice cubes of aproper size for domestic use from which a. part or all of the ice sired. v

It is another object of my invention to provide impxoved lluuld concealing apparatus of the mechemical ejection type wherein some or all of the ice cubes mey be removed, as desired, and wherel in those ice cubes which the user desires to remove are rendered extremely accessible.

It is still a. further object of my invention to progressively lift ice cubes from on ice trey so that as m cubes as desired may be easily 1 removed from the ice trey, while the remaining l3 and the horizontal sides thereof teper ln werdly as shown at M in Fig. 1. Only a small. amount of ice is, therefore, contained in the left-' hand end of the lee pen. which is desirable for cubes may be removed as do:

till

are eflected by my description and; claims taken in connection with Q the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:;

Fig. l'ls a, top pleu viewof" on ice trey, and.

grid constructed in eccordslhcej with my lnventlon;

Flo. 2 is e side elevctionel and grid, with portlous thereof broken away for the salts of cleemess;

Fig. 3b, an enlarged view of s. portion of the ice tray 8,115 grid showing the grid in its raised position; I

Fig. 4 is a detail view of e transverse grid well member;

view of the ice trey reasons which will be hereinafter apparent.

A grid structure, generally indicated stilS is disposed within the ice pen H and forms a plurellty of cells it which form lcelcubes ll, as shown in Fig. 3. The grid structure 48 is formed of a. longitudinal vertlcslwallmember l8 and a plurality of transverse wall members it, the latter being shown in Fig. 4 in detail; Each transverse well member i9 is provided with two horizontal extensions or lifting members into: a purpose hereinafter described. Preferably both the longitudinal one member lo and the transverse wall members W are formed of rigid stomped aluminum. TheP' longitudinal wall member lb is provided with a plurality of slots 2!, 22, 23, 2t. and 25 at the top thereof, and each transverse well member l9 is provided with a slot 26 at the bottom'thereof. Thelongltudlml and transverse wall members are assembled together by sliding the two together, the slots 2| v to 25 of the longitudinal well, members each recelving the top of a transverse wall member and the slots 25 in the transverse wall members receiving the bottom-of the longitudinal wall memher. The slots 28 in the transverse wall members It are suficlently wide that the transverse wall member is loosely assembled ont'he longitudinal well member l8. Likewise the slots 2! to 25 in the longitudinal wall member M are of sufflclent width that the transverse well members I9 may be rotated 2. limited distance about the bottom edget'l of the slots 2! to 25. The slot it in the longitudinal wall member 88 is the widest. as

Fig.5 is a sectional view of my improved ice pen sod crld member taken on line V- l of Fig. l

1; end Fig. 6 ts. on emerged view, partly in section, token on line Vi -WI of Fig. 2, end illustrating in detail the liuksge'mecheuism at the left-hand end of the grid member.

Referring specifically to the drawings for o, detailed description of my invention, humeral ll designates on ice pan, preferably formed of rigid stomped aluminum and provided with e reinforcllp 52. As shown in Figs. 2 end 3, one end Alli shown in Fig. 2, and the slots decrease in width progressively, the slot 25 at the right-hand end of the longitudinal grid member It being the.

narrowest. The reason for this construction will hereinafter be apparent.

In. order to retain the transverse and longitudinal well members it and it together, and to rotate'the transverse wall members relative to the longitudinal well member, an operating member 29 formed of an .inverted U-sheped channel of aluminum or aluminum alloy, is attached to the top of the grid structure l5 by means of pins to and ti secured to the operating member to and movable longitudinally in longitudinelly extending slots 32 formed in the longitudinsl wall member l8 and receiving the pins 39. The operating member 29 is provided with of the lcepen ll slopes upwardly as shown at a plurality of upwardly extending slots 33, 3|.

35, 3B, and 37 which receive upward extensions 38 formed on each transverse wall member i9. As best shown in Fig. 2, the slot 33 is the narrowest, and the slots 33 to 3! progressively widen, the slot 31 being the widest.

In order to lift the grid structure i5 from the ice tray ll after ice has been frozen therein, and to move the operating member 29 in a horizontal direction thereafter, a leverage and linkage device generally indicated at 40a is provided and comprises a handle 380. which is pivotally attached at 39 to the left-hand end of the longitudinal wall member iii. A link ii is pivotally attached to the handle 38a by pivot pin 52 and to the operating member 29 at pivot 43, the pivot 43 being provided by the pin 3! at the left-hand end of the grid. A spacer it connects the pivots 39 and B2 and positions the handle 38a. The handle 38a is provided with an outward extension 35 which engages the lip 82 of the ice tray 5 I when rotated in a counterclockwise direction The left-hand end of the longitudinal Wall member I8 is provided with a depression 36 which receives the pin 32 when the parts are in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2. The pin $2 is, therefore, in a slightly over center position relative to the pivot points 39 and 53.

Operation After the grid structure it has been inserted in the ice tray i I, and the ice cubes i'i have been frozen, it is desirable at times to remove only some of the ice cubes ll therefrom, while at other. times it is desirable to remove all the ice cubes. In either case, the cubes are preferably retained by the apparatus in such a position that the user may readily remove them and place them in glasses or the like, without the necessity of dump ing the ice cubes first into the sink or defrosting tray.

v'Ihe handle 38a is, therefore, rotated to first lift the grid structure l5 along its entire lengthfrom the ice tray H, with the ice cubes ii still adhering to the grid structure l5. When the handle 38a is rotated, a handle it attached to the other end of the ice tray is grasped'to hold the ice tray and prevent this end from lifting when the handle 38a is rotated, When the handle 38a is rotated counterclockwise, the extension as thereof ongages the lip ll of the ice tray, which acts as a fulcrum, and the grid structure is raised slightly to break the ice cubes away from the ice tray i l, The operating member is not moved horizontally during the time the handle 38a is rotated through its initial arc to lift the grid member because the pin $2 first is raised out of the depression 65 to dead center position, then slightly over dead center position, during which time the pin $2 is moving substantially perpendicularly to the link ll, and the link M is, therefore, not moved any appreciable distance-horizontally. Since the link M is connected by pin 3| to the operating-mem ber 29, and the pin 3! is rigidly attached to tl'ie operating member 29, further rotation of the handle 38a in a counterclockwise direction as shown in Fig. Bmoves the operating member 2% to the left, the pins 30 and 3i sliding in the slots 82 in the longitudinal wall member 58. The side of the relatively narrow slot 33 in the operating member 29 immediately engages the portion 38 of the leftmost transverse wall member it, thus moving it in the slot 33 in the longitudinal wall member i8 and rotating it about the pivot point 27. Slight further movement of the handle 238a moves the side of the slot 38 into engagement with.

aeeaoca the second transverse wall member from the left and moves it in the slot 3 to impart rotational movement to the said second transverse wall member. The slots 33.3 to 3'? progressively decrease in width because the left-hand transverse wall member must move at alltimes after the handle 38a is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 3, while the other transverse wall members move progressively less, as they extend from left to right.

When the first transverse wall member iii is rotated, it breaks the ice cubes out of the two small end cells at the left-hand end of the tray H by forcing them to the left at the top thereof and these relatively small cubes will fall into the ice tray 8 i. lhe cubes to the right of the transverse walls shown in Fig. '3 are broken from the grid structure it because the lifting members ifi are rotated to the position shown in Fig. 3. The lifting member when rotated not only shears the ice cubes ill from the grid walls,'but also retains them in a raised position above the outer edges of the grid, so long as the handle 330. is not moved back to its normal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. If it is decided not to remove some ice cubes after they have been broken from the grid,

the handle 38a may, therefore, again be disposed the ice tray, may be progressively broken from the apparatus by successive rotation of the transverse wail members by the mechanismdescribed, and the cubes which are progressively broken are lifted to positions where they are easily removable from the apparatus. 1. preferably ancdize and then treat the ice contacting surfaces of the apparatus with wax or parafiin, as set forth, for

example, in the copending application of W. B. Anderson, Serial No. 73,436, filed April 9, 1936, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Company. This treatment mate rially facilitates the removal of ice cubes from the apparatus.

It is, therefore, apparent that Ihave provided improved liquid congealing apparatus from which part or all of the ice cubes therein are 'progressively moved to an accessible position from which the user may readily remove them, and that the mechanism for efiecting this desirable result is inexpensive and uncomplicated in construction.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without de parting from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. in liquid congealing apparatus, the combination of an ice tray embodying side walls and attached to the bottoms of said transverse wall members normally disposed parallel to the bottom wall of said ice tray, said angularly disposed members progressively engaging ice cubes and lifting them as said manually operable means rotates progressive transverse wall members so as to free part or all of said ice cubes and raise them to an accessible position.

2. A freezing apparatus for liquids comprising in combination, a tray having a grid structure removably disposed therein, said grid structure including a Vertically disposed longitudinal wall and a pluralityof walls extending transversely from said longitudinal wall in spaced apart relation along the length thereof and dividing the tray into a plurality of ice cube compartments. said transverse walls being mounted on said longitudinal Wall to slide therealong and rotate with respect thereto, and being provided with portions extending into said ice cube compartments, means for elevating said grid structure together with ice cubes adhering thereto relative to the tray, and for moving said transverse walls relative to said longitudinal wall to break the bond between the ice cubes and the grid walls and to elevate the ice cubes relative to said compartments.

3. In a grid for an ice tray, at least one separating plate extending longitudinally of said tray; a plurality of movable separating plates ex- 'tending transversely of said tray, said longitudinally extending plate and said transversely extending plates providing a plurality of compartments for ice blocks; ice block ejecting fingers on said movable plates, positioned to underlie said ice blocks in said compartments; and means for tilting said movable separating plates about an axis extending transversely across the grid as a whole, to cause said fingers to tilt and push said ice blocks upwardly relative to said tray.

4. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a two-part metal longitudinal partition and a plurality of metal partitions extending transversely to said longitudinal partition in spaced apart relation along the length thereof, said partitions being movably interlocked together to provide a unitary grid structure and forming walls of a plurality of ice block compartments, one part of said two-part longitudinal partition grid and said being movable relative to the other part thereof, means for moving said one part of said twopart longitudinal grid partition relative to the said other part thereof, the interlocking of said transverse grid partitions with said longitudinal partition being such that said transverse partitions are progressively engaged by said one part of the two-part longitudinal partition upon movement thereof relative to its other part and are moved relative to said longitudinal partition to liberate ice blocks from their compartment walls,

and means associated with said unitary grid structure constructed and arranged to be successively actuated upon progressively moving said transverse grid partitions for moving a portion of the liberated ice blocks upwardly of the top surface of the grid structure to facilitate harvesting of ice blocks therefrom.

5. A freezing apparatus for liquids comprising in combination, a tray having a grid structure removably disposed therein, said grid structure including a vertically disposed longitudinal wall and a plurality of walls extending transversely from said longitudinal wall in spaced apart relation along the length thereof and dividing the tray into a plurality of ice cube compartments, said transverse walls being mounted on said longitudinal wall to move with respect thereto, and being provided with portions extending into said ice cube compartments, means for elevating said grid structure together with ice cubes thereon relative to the tray, and for moving said transverse walls relative to said longitudinal wall to break the bond between the ice cubes and the grid walls and to elevate the ice cubes relative to said compartments.

6. A removable grid for forming ice cubes in an ice tray including a partition and a plurality of transverse plates movable with respect to said partition, at least certain of said transverse plates having means to support ice cubes, and means for moving said transverse plates and ice supporting means with respect to said partition so as to lift at least certain of said ice cubes toloosen the latter from said partition, said means being so constructed as to lift ice cubes in a predetermined order.

JULES N. SALEFt 

